The 'Office' Manager's New Career (Ricky Gervais - The Office)

NYT ^ | August 19, 2005 | JOYCE WADLER

[Panerai]

I've always been fascinated with actors who have to be heroes, whereas I shy away from that," Ricky Gervais, the British comedian who will star in a new HBO series, "Extras," this fall, was saying the other day. "I'm a flawed character. I'm good at that." He uses a Yiddish word for loser. If you want that sort, Mr. Gervais says, then "I'm your man. If you want John Wayne, forget it."

Mr. Gervais plays an extra who considers himself a great actor. Oh? And why does he think he brings such verisimilitude to portraying losers?

There's a long and evasive answer from Mr. Gervais: in comedy one must take the work but not yourself seriously; there's no place for machismo in comedy; audiences don't want to see someone who is perfect.

So to a more pressing matter: how does this fellow from Reading, Britain, whose father was a French Canadian, even know this bit of Yiddish?

"I don't know," says Mr. Gervais (pronounced jer-VAZE). "I suppose I grew up wishing I was an American Jew for the comedy and the one-liners. 'The Sunshine Boys' is one of my favorite films And maybe a bit of liberation, knowing that if I said it in American people would know what I meant. So I was trying on my language skills."

[Panerai]

[Xenalyte]

I used to babysit a kid named Ricky Gervais.

Since this was in the early '80s in southwest Houston, something makes me doubt it's the same guy.

[wtc911]

Gervais' The Office was the funniest TV in a decade, once you got what they were about.

[BackInBlack]

This guy is hysterical. Has anyone here seen The Office? (The British version, not the American one.)

[jdm]

"This guy is hysterical. Has anyone here seen The Office? (The British version, not the American one.)"

I've never seen the British version; thought the US version was hysterical. I'm assuming (the US version) was canceled (so soon).

[Panerai]

I have already seen the first 2 episodes of Extras (it won't be available in US on HBO until September) and they are funny, in many ways the same humor from the original office. Here are some clips from the show from Ricky's web site: Extras Video Clips

[Panerai]

I would strongly sugest renting the original BBC version, it's on DVD, compared to that the NBC version is really weak.

[Lil'freeper]

Has anyone here seen The Office?

Yes! Love it.

[Starter]

Nope. The US version was renewed, it's just that the first season was really, really short. (6 episodes, IIRC.)